Battles of Masłomęcz and Grabowiec begin
- Category:
- Military operations
- Front:
- Eastern Front
- Date:
- 13 July 1915
- Author:
- Natalia
On 13 July 1915, when the great offensive of the Central Powers got under way on the Narew, the German Army of the Bug was completing its preparations for an attack northwards on the southern edge of the Kingdom of Poland, between Hrubieszów and Grabowiec. The German list of battles, on which the British chronology of the war is based, dates two battles from this day: at Masłomęcz, a village on the Huczwa (PL) south of Hrubieszów, and at Grabowiec, on the hills of the Działy Grabowieckie (PL). The actual attack, however, began only on 15 July. 13 July was the day on which the German troops moved into their jumping-off positions.
A new army on the Bug
After the recapture of Lviv the forces of Field Marshal August von Mackensen turned north, between the Vistula and the Bug. At the beginning of July, however, their advance stalled in front of strong Russian positions on the Wolica and Huczwa rivers, and the Russians responded with fierce counter-attacks. Mackensen halted the offensive and regrouped his forces. On 8 July a new Army of the Bug was formed from the right wing of his Eleventh Army. Command was taken by General Alexander von Linsingen, who until then had led the South Army on the Dniester. The new army comprised General Georg von der Marwitz’s Beskiden Corps, General Friedrich von Gerok’s XXIV Reserve Corps, formed from the Bavarian 11th Infantry Division and the 107th Infantry Division, and XLI Reserve Corps, which, however, in mid-July passed under the orders of the Austro-Hungarian First Army, covering the attack from the east, from the Bug near Sokal. In exchange Linsingen received the Prussian 1st Infantry Division.
The Beskiden Corps, which had previously guarded the line of the Bug further south, was relieved by Austro-Hungarian units. According to the Austrian official history, on the night of 12–13 July it entered the front in the sector from Werbkowice to Grabowiec, replacing the Austro-Hungarian VI Corps and the German 22nd Infantry Division. These in turn relieved the Prussian Guard, which moved west, to the Wieprz, where Mackensen was preparing the main blow. On 14 July, after the arrival of the 1st Infantry Division, the deployment of the Army of the Bug was complete.
The Russian Thirteenth Army
Opposite stood the Thirteenth Army of General Vladimir Gorbatovsky, formed at the end of June from General Vladimir Olokhov’s group of corps. Its trenches ran west of the Bug through Kosmów, Masłomęcz, Terebiń, Werbkowice, Zaborce, Bereść and Grabowiec. They were held by soldiers of XXIX and XXIII Corps, including the 3rd Guards Infantry Division, and of II and V Caucasian Corps. The positions were well developed, with dugouts and overhead cover against shrapnel, but the divisions were badly depleted. According to Russian documents some regiments numbered only a few hundred bayonets, and the artillery was short of shells.
The plan of attack
On 11 July Mackensen received orders to attack between the Vistula and the Bug together with the Austro-Hungarian Fourth Army, the Eleventh Army and the Army of the Bug, and to reach the line Novo-Alexandria (Puławy) – Lublin – Chełm. Cutting the Russians off from the railway from Chełm to Lublin and Ivangorod was to threaten the whole Russian front in the Kingdom of Poland, while Gallwitz’s army advanced from the north. The Army of the Bug was to march on Chełm. Since its front was long, it was ordered to attack a day earlier than the rest, on 15 July, and on 16 July to draw level with the Eleventh Army. German reconnaissance identified the points of breakthrough: at Masłomęcz and Metelin for Gerok’s corps, and at Zaborce for the Beskiden Corps.
The fighting that began two days later proved much harder for the Germans than they had expected. The Russian guardsmen and Caucasian grenadiers beat off attacks for several days, and the Army of the Bug nowhere broke through the front.
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Related events
(04)The same battle, people or subject.
- 18 July 1915 · Eastern FrontEnd of the battles of Masłomęcz and GrabowiecOn 18 July 1915 the Russian Thirteenth Army still held off the Bug Army near Hrubieszów and Grabowiec. It fell back that night as the front broke at Krasnystaw.
- 19 July 1915 · Eastern FrontBattles of Hrubieszów and Wojsławice beginOn 19 July 1915 the Russians fell back to a new line running west from Hrubieszów. The Army of the Bug followed them and stopped before more trenches.
- 30 July 1915 · Eastern FrontBattles of Hrubieszów and Wojsławice endOn 30 July 1915 the Russian 13th Army began to retreat from Hrubieszów. After twelve days of fighting the Bug Army reached Strzelce and Leszczany.
- 31 July 1915 · Eastern FrontBattle of StrzelceOn 31 July 1915 Gerok's corps of the Bug Army broke the front of the Russian 13th Army at Strzelce and opened the way to Chełm.